Closely following the introduction of computer generated graphic representations of objects, computer games have been developed and have become popular to the point of becoming a significant industry. A significant factor in the continuing popularity of such games may possibly be the fact that the simulated venue or environment in which the game is played is limited only by the imagination of the game developer and can be presented to a viewer on a display with a realistic appearance which is limited only by the hardware and software employed to render associated images. Moreover, such simulated environments and the rules which govern them may be changed, and these changes may be executed dynamically.
Computers connected through networks such as the Internet have also allowed numerous participants to interact among themselves in the same game. As this multi-player game capability is synthesized with other Internet capabilities such as interactive chat rooms, advertising and marketing techniques, access to massive amounts of information; and the like, so-called virtual universes (sometimes referred to as “metaverses” or “3D Internet”) have been developed and made available to the public in recent years. A virtual universe (VU) is a computer-based simulated environment intended for users thereof (referred to as “residents” or “agents”) to inhabit, traverse and interact through the use of Avatars. An Avatar, in the context of a VU, is a graphical representation of a user. The appearance and movement of the Avatar is freely selectable and controllable by the user, and other participants can see the Avatar. The Avatar often takes the form of a cartoon-like human which can move through the regions of the virtual universe. These regions are generated in three dimensional (3D) landscapes and populated by 3D objects, including Avatars. The landscapes and objects shown in the virtual universe may or may not resemble the real world familiar to us, in terms of buildings and other constructed objects within the environment, geography, landscapes and the laws which govern the universe.
Some examples of virtual universes available to the public include Second Life® (“Second Life” is a trademark of Linden Research, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries), Entropia Universe™ (“Entropia Universe” is a trademark of Mindark PE AB in Sweden and/or other countries), and There® (“There” is a trademark of Forterra Systems, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries). Examples of massively multiplayer online games include EverQuest® (“EverQuest” is a trademark of Sony Online Entertainment, LLC in the United States and/or other countries), Ultima Online® (“Ultima Online” is a trademark of Electronic Arts, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries) or World of Warcraft® (“World of Warcraft” is a trademark of Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries). Publically available virtual universes and/or massively multiplayer online games are operated by persons or companies who provide servers to generate portions of the VU and which may impose a charge for participation as a resident, to establish a particular object or environment (sometimes referred to as an “island”) within the VU, present advertising and the like or combinations thereof.
In short, an Avatar controlled by a resident can interact with other Avatars, objects and portions of the immediate environment of the Avatar in much the same way a person would interact with other persons, objects and portions of the environment in the real world and objects and local environments within the VU may be developed creatively to resemble the real world closely, not at all or with any degree of realism or fantasy in between. These combinations of virtual structures may be provided by the administrator of the VU or users of the VU, often for a not insubstantial fee.
Trust is a valuable asset in a collaborative setting, and Avatar rating systems have been developed to enable trust between Avatars. However, there is evidence of collusion between Avatars for the purpose of artificially enhancing ratings. In order to discourage such behavior some virtual worlds impose a fee to provide a rating. However, this pricing policy also limits the willingness of the participants to provide ratings, because they may have insufficient VU funds. Accordingly, there exists a need in the art to overcome the foregoing deficiencies and limitations in Avatar ratings.